Grassa — Restaurant in Vancouver

I've been here and the other locations several times before and my experience was always pleasant. On 9/4 however, my entire group was treated so disrespectfully by the staff I couldn't believe it. When we arrived, it was 96 degrees outside and they had the east wall (a large garage door type window) completely open even though the AC was on and clearly having a difficult time keeping up. Rubbed me the wrong way immediately from an environmental and waste perspective. It was so warm inside the restaurant that we were discussing whether or not we wanted to even stay, but they closed the window as we were talking, so we decided to stay. Before ordering, I noticed that the front door was still wide open, blowing in the hot air from outside, so I asked the man at the counter if they would mind also closing the door so it could cool down inside. He said ok, but the woman next to him rolled her eyes at me and said with attitude, "I JUST opened it". I said, ok, but it's pretty warm in here and we only decided to stay because we were hoping it would cool down with the windows closed. They said, "fine, we'll close it". During our orders, one friend said I don't know how to pronounce the name of the dish I want and I don't want to butcher it", so she described it from the menu instead. The guy ROLLS HIS EYES at her. After we sat down, we watched as they walked straight over and reopened the front door. Our food arrived, I had ordered the watermelon salad and the watermelon tasted slightly fermented like old watermelon does after it's been cut and sitting too long and was incredibly mushy. It appeared/tasted to have been sitting in the acidic dressing prior to serving and was such an unappetizing texture. I really didn't want to, because I knew they already thought I was a Karen, but eventually I brought it up to the front because it was like $13 and I felt like it wasn't acceptable to serve like that. I explained what was wrong with it. The same girl from earlier, gets a piece from the kitchen, eats it and says "it's soft, but not THAT soft" while glaring at me. She did offer to make something else after I said I was sorry, but just couldn't eat it. Another friend went to get a second glass of wine and was told snarkily by a staff member, "if I'd known you were going to drink this much, I would have sold you a bottle, it's way cheaper". We were sitting and talking at our table and it was getting hotter and hotter in the room as we sat there. Two people in our party were fanning themselves with napkins. The guy from the front came over and said "I don't know why you are so hot, it's 68 degrees in here". To which we all kinda laughed and said well, perhaps your thermostat is broken? We left directly afterwards and on our way out noticed the thermostat clearly said 78 degrees, though it was set to 64. Front door still wide open. For many people in my party, this was their first experience at Grassa and they stated they would never return due to the terrible service. Just after we left, we noticed they reopened the giant window, though it was still 87 outdoors. Seriously? I'll go to Grassa again, but never this location unless they have a huge staff overhaul. The only person who was nice to us was the girl with glasses making the drinks. She deserves a raise for putting up with the...

The Vancouver Waterfront continues to add some truly fantastic dining options, with Grassa being amongst its most recent additions. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting any of their existing Portland locations, but I've heard their name mentioned multiple times from various sources, including articles online, and word of mouth from trusted friends. When my wife and I found ourselves wandering the Waterfront last night, and saw that this Grassa location had opened, we came to an unspoken consensus and headed straight inside to order.

Having had a late lunch, we opted to split the Cherry Tomato Pomodoro, which she paired with a glass of the Grassa White, and myself with a Toronto (whiskey and Fernet). We snagged a table outside to enjoy the balmy October sunset. Within 15 minutes the dish arrived: fresh, handcrafted noodles, tossed in a refreshing, sweet-and-savory tomato sauce almost like a salad dressing, with strands of basil, shavings of grana cheese, and a dusting of breadcrumbs that gave it a gentle, welcome crunch. We were hooked, both of us wishing we'd been hungrier, and didn't have to share!

I'm a fan of Grassa's fast-casual-fine dining setup; I didn't think I would be. Ordering from the counter and then grabbing your own table seems out of place in a restaurant that exudes such an "upscale" aesthetic, but it works; the flipside, of course, is that you lose any semblance of "service" outside of the ordering process, and the delivery of your meal. If you need another cocktail, you're on your own. Fine by me.

Cooking and serving quality Italian pasta dishes is a lot like learning a trade skill: there are levels of proficiency, from apprentice to grandmaster, with each step requiring years of training, practice, and intrinsic knowledge. The quality of the end product is a direct reflection of this proficiency. The pasta served at Grassa is undoubtedly fantastic, but suffers somewhat from being the child of what is essentially an high-end chain restaurant. It'll never reach the reverent station of an Italian nonna, slaving away at hand-rolling noodles with experienced, calloused, arthritic hands, while simultaneously stirring a pot of her legendary Bolognese...but it's not trying to be, either. It doesn't have to. In a world full of Olive Gardens and Spaghetti Factories, a fresh take and an honest effort is enough put them leagues ahead of the competition, and make them a welcome addition to the burgeoning downtown Vancouver culinary scene (a phrase I never thought I would utter in my...

Update 01 2025.....the radicchio / fennel / citrus salad was exceptional.🤙🤙 Update-10 19 2023......AMAZING!!!!! 👌The roasted cauliflower and radicchio salad is off the charts. ......HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Grassa is a good addition to the Vancouver waterfront dining scene but the music can be obnoxiously loud . The space at Grassa is open and , in general , comfortable. Service and ordering is at the counter with an order number assigned at the time of payment. I ordered the fusilli , a caesar salad and a side order of meatballs. Water is available at the counter---self serve as well. The order was brought to the table promptly . The caesar salad was excellent---top shelf. The dressing was good and just the correct amount . The preserved lemon was a great added touch. The fusilli was moderately spicy and very tasty . Cooked perfectly al dente. The pasta is made on-site behind the counter to the left of the ordering station. The meatballs, served 3 per order, were also delicious. The entire meal was more than enough for two moderate eater to share. The open window to the street at tableside on a perfect PNW day , added to the casual and pleasant ambiance--------------except for the loud music played overhead . The music is so loud that conversation with table mates can be difficult. The other issue was a dirty bathroom that needed attention. The prices charged are reasonable for the good quality of the food and I feel I received good value for the money. Grassa has only recently opened as of the date of this review. I'm looking forward to more return visits hoping that the 2 issues mentioned above are resolved once Grassa gets past any newly-opened restaurant issues UPDATE---I had the carbonara.....off the charts. My new...